Lighting fixture



Dec. 2, 195s T. M. STEINBACH 2,863,041

LIGHTING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1957 Dec. 2, 1958 T, MsTElNBACl-lA 2,863,041

LIGHTLN'G FIXTURE:

Filed Jan. s, 1957 ,United States Patent O pas.

LIGHTING FIXTURE Thomas M. Steinbach, Park Ridge, Ill., assigner to TheStitel Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationJanuary 8, 1957, Serial No. 633,153

4 Claims. (Cl. 240-81) This invention relates to a lightingxture.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a supporting rodformed of a plurality of sections which are rigidly and firmly supportedin spaced relation to each other to accommodate and support between saidsections and in alignment therewith a lighting fixture such as anelectrical socket and light bulb. With this invention it is possible toform lighting fixtures in which the rod. or tubular member is formed ofa plurality of sections with the sections rigidly supported in a spacedrelation toeach other to permit lighting means to be interposed andsupported in a straight line with said sections to give the effect of acontinuous rod.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lighting fixture formedof spaced rods or tubular members to form a cage effect wherein a plantor the like may be positioned therein to be surrounded by the lightingfixture.

3 Another object is to provide a lighting xture of the foregoingcharacter in which the rods support in vertical alignment therewithlight means positioned between the opposite ends of the rod.

Another object is to provide a lighting fixture formed of rods in whichthe rod is formed of a pair of sections and connected in spaced relationto define a space therebetween, within which space is supported a lightbulb in alignment with the two sections.

Another object is to provide a lighting xture of the foregoing characterin which the light means are positioned at different heights on saidrods to present an ornamental and pleasing light effect.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lighting fixture of theforegoing character which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy toassemble and which may be readily disassembled for replacement of thelight bulbs.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses. Y

In the drawings:

-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the lighting fixture.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section taken on lines 2 2 of Fig.l.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlargedview taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 2. v Fig. 5 is an exploded view ofcertain of the parts.

Fig. 5a is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken on lines Sa-Sa ofFig. 5, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the connecting member. The lightingfixture generally indicated at 10 is shaped to provide a bird cage`effect, and generally described comprises a ring like base indicated at12 to which are secured' three .equally spaced attaching rods 14 and aplurality of (preferably 9) spaced light'fixture supporting rods ortubular members 16 each of which supports an electrical socket 18, lightbulb 20 and globe or shade 2.2. The upper ends of attaching rods 14 andlight fixture supporting rods 16, are secured to a fixture housing 24which supports a night light bulb 26.

2,863,041 Patented Dec. 2, 195.8.

ICC

More specifically described the ring like base 12 has inclined spacedside walls 28 and 29 connected by a horizontal flat top wall 30.Interiorly of the ring and spaced below the top wall 30 is a horizontalflangev 32 provided with 3 equally spaced openings 33. The top wall 30is also provided with 3 spaced openings 34 in vertical alignment withopenings 33. The lower ends of the 3 attaching rods 14 are each providedwith a threaded end 35 and which passes through the openings 33 and 34and is secured to the ange 32 of the base ring by a nut 36. A collar 37is secured to the rod 14 and helps to maintain the rod in an uprightposition and to facilitate locking of the rod with respect to the ringbase. The attaching rods 14 are spaced and positioned around the ringbase as best shown in Fig. 3. The upper ends of each of the rods 14 arecurved or arched inwardly and downwardly at the upper ends thereof asindicated at 38 and terminate in externally threaded ends which aresecured to the night light fixture supporting housing generallyindicated at 24.

The' housing 24 ymayinclude a hollowv upper end 42 shaped like a pairoftruncated conesujoined together and secured at the lower end thereofis an inverted annular dishushaped member 44. The threaded ends 40 ofeach of the attaching rods 14 are inserted in suitable openings in themember 44 (Fig. 5a) and are secured thereto by a pair of nuts 46 securedto the threaded end on the opposite sides of member 44 to rigidly securethe attaching rods 14 to the member44. u

' An annular dish shaped member 48 is secured to the member 44 and saidmember 48 supports a small shade member 50 secured thereto. Anelectrical socket 52 has a rod 54 connected thereto and the rod extendsupwardly through the hollow member 42 and is suitably supported at thetop of member 42 for supporting the electrical socket 52. The electricalsocket 52 supports a small electrical night light bulb 26 which servesas a night light.

The light fixture supporting rods or tubular members 16, nine of whichare shown are arranged in three groups of three rods in each group andare spaced as shown in Fig. 3. When combined with the three attachingrods 14, the rods 14 and 16 are equally spaced around a circle to form acage effect with equally spaced rods. It will be understood however thatany number of rods may be employed in any suitable arrangement.

The light fixture supporting rods or tubular members 16 are all ofsimilar construction and of equal length, they vary only as to thelength of the sections which are joined to form the rod and this permitsthe-light bulb on each rod to be at a different height. A description ofone will suice for all such rods and same is best shown in Figs. 4, 5and 6. The light fixture supporting rod 16 is formed of two separatetubular sections 56 and 58 forming the lower and upper portionsrespectively. The lower end of each of the lower sections 56 (Fig, 5) isreceived in suitable openings in the top wall 30of the base and issuitably attached thereto iny any conventional manner. The lower end ofsection 56 may be threaded and secured to the base by a suitable nut ifdesired. The upper end of tubular section 56 is swedged inside the bore60 of a cap 62, the upper portion of the bore is internally threaded asat 64 for threaded' engagement with a threaded sleeve 66. The cap 62tapers outwardly and is provided at its upper end with a recessedportion 68 and a raised annular lip 70. The threaded end of qleeve 66extends upwardly of the cap 62 as shown in' A connecting membergenerally indicated at 72 and best shown in Fig. 6 is supported on thecap 62. The connecting member 72 comprises a lower ring 74 `to which issecured a rigid rod 76 which supports a plug 77 having a reducedexternally threaded portion 78 and a pin 79. The lower ring 74 ispositioned in the recessed portion 68 on the cap 62 to surround thethreaded sleeve 66 and is secured thereby by a nut 80. The electricalsocket 18 has an internally threaded extension 82V which is lin threadedengagement with the sleeve 66 for supporting the socket 18. Theelectrical socket 18 supports the light bulb 20. The globe or shade 22preferably of translucent glass is shaped at its opposite ends toprovide a reduced lip 84 at each end thereof. The lower lip 84 seats onthe lip 70 of the cap 62.

An upper cap 86 similar to cap 62 is provided with a bore 87 which isinternally threaded at its lower portion as at 88 for a portion of itslength. The cap 86 is supported on plug 77 Vof the connecting member 72and is in threaded engagement with the threaded portion 78 of the plug.The section 580i the rod or tubular member 16 has permanently secured atits lower end an externally threaded sleeve 97 which is received in thebore 87 of the cap and is in threaded engagement with the cap 86. Thepin 79 of the plug 77 being positioned inside the section 58 of the rod.While the position of the plug 77 of the supporting member 72 is in afixed position, the upper cap 86 is adjustable relative to the plug byrotation of the cap in either direction. The threads of the sleeve 97which is attached to section 58 are in threaded engagement with thethreads of cap 86, but the bore 87 of the cap has a larger insidediameter than the outside diameter of the threads of the sleeve 97 sothat when the cap is rotated to disengage the threads of the sleeve 97the cap may be slid upwardly on the section 58. The upper cap may beadjusted upwardly or downwardly with respect to the plug to provide moreor less space between the lower and upper caps 62 and 86. The upper lip84 of the globe 22 is confined and in engagement with the lip 89 of theupper cap. Thus the globe or shade 22 is securely positioned between theupper and lower caps and locked therebetween. Compensating adjustmentsmay be readily made for globes or shades of varying heights. For thepurpose of inserting or replacing a light bulb, the upper cap 86 isrotated so that it moves upwardly on the upper section 53 and when pastthreaded engagement with section 58 the cap may be slid upwardly on thesection as best shown in Fig. 5. The cap will also then be Unthreadedfrom the plug 77 thus allowing the shade or globe 22 to be movedupwardly and exposing the electrical socket 18 for insertion or removalof the light bulb.

It will be seen that the lower and upper sections 56 and 58 of rod 16are in vertical alignment and that the sections are maintained in spacedrelation with each other by connecting member 72 to define a spacebetween the sections of the rod to accommodate the light bulb whichlikewise is supported in vertical alignment with the rod sections. Theshade or globe 22 surrounds the light bulb and also hides from view thesupporting member 72. The shade or globe is so integrated'with the rods16 that an attractive symmetry rand continuity is obtained and theappearance is presented of light emanating from the rods 16. The upperand lower sections 56 and 58 of the rod are rigidly and firmly supportedsubstantially as though it were a continuous rod.

The upper end of section 58 of each of the rods 16 is curved or archedsimilar to rod 14 and is externally threaded at its end and is securedto the member 44 by a pair of nuts similar to that of the rods 14.

The electrical socket 52 in the upper housing is connected by a suitableconducting wire 91 which extends through one of the tubular rods 16 to atumbler switch 92 mounted on the ring base 12. Each of the electricalsockets 18 supported by the rods 16 is connected through a. conductingwire 94 extending through the tubular rod and connected to the tumblerswitch 92. A conducting wire 96 leads from the switch 92 to a source ofcurrent. By operating the switch 92 the lights 20 on the rods 16 Gil iare turned on or the night light 26 may be turned on and the otherlights turned off.

As previously explained the rods 16 and their connecting parts are allof uniform construction. While the rods 16 are all of uniform lengthsthe lengths of sections 56 and 58 vary so that when the sections areconnected together to form a rod the light source namely the light bulbsand shade are positioned at various heights. Thus in forming a cage therods are arranged with light sources l at different heights to provide avery effective pattern.

This lighting fixture may be supported on a oor or supporting stand ormay be suspended from a ceiling. lf desired a plant, fiowers or the likemay be positioned inside the lighting fixture so that the lightingfixture surrounds the plant or fiowers.

it will be understood that various changes may be made from theforegoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

l. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of spaced lightfixture supporting rods secured to said base, said light fixturesupporting rods each formed of an upper and lower section with the lowersection supporting an electrical socket, means between said upper andlower sections for spacing said sections from each other a distancesufficient to accommodate a light bulb therebetween in said socket andto support said light bulb on said lower section in vertical alignmentwith the upper and lower sections, a cap member secured to each of thespaced ends of said upper and lower sections with the open ends of saidcap members spaced from and facing each other, and a globe adapted tosurround said light bulb with the opposite ends of said globe supportedin the open endsof said cap members to form a contnuous enclosureextending between the spaced upper and lower sections so that from anoutward appearance the upper and lower sections of each supporting rodappear as a single continuing rod with a bulbous illuminating portion indirect alignment therewith.

2. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of spaced lightfixture supporting rods secured to said base and arranged in a circle,said light fixture supporting rods each formed of an upper and lowersection with the lower section supporting an electrical socket and alight bulb, means between said upper and lower sections for spacing saidsections from each other a distance sufficient to accommodate a lightbulb therebetween, a light bulb supported in said lower section invertical alignment with the upper and lower sections, the upper ends ofsaid upper sections being arched inwardly so that said ends extend topositions adjacent the vertical axis of the fixture, a socket housingsecured to said inwardly arched ends, and a light bulb supported by saidsocket housing.

3. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of spaced lightfixture supporting rods secured to said base and arranged in a circle,said light xture supporting rods each formed of an upper and lowersection with the lower section supporting an electrical socket and alight bulb, means between said upper and lower sections for spacing saidsections from each other a distance sufiicient to accommodate a lightbulb therebetween, a light bulb supported in said lower section invertical alignment with the upper and lower sections, the upper ends ofsaid upper sections being arched inwardly so that said ends extend topositions adjacent the vertical axis of the fixture, a socket housingsecured to said inwardly arched ends for supporting a light bulb, andswitch means on said base for operating said light bulbs.

4. A lighting fixture comprising a base, a plurality of light fixturesupporting rods secured to said base and arranged in a circle to providea cage effect, said light fixture supporting rods each formed of anupper and lower section with one of said sections supporting anelectrical socket to accommodate a `light bulb, means between said upperand lower sections for spacing said 5 'sections from each other adistance su'lcient to accommodate the light bulb therebetween invertical alignment with said upper and lower sections, a cap membersecured to each of the spaced ends of said upper and lower sections withthe open ends of said cap members spaced from and facing each other, anda globe adapted to surround said light bulb with the opposite ends ofsaid globe supported in the open ends of said cap members to form acontinuous enclosure extending between the spaced upper and lowersections so that from an out- 10 2,748,257

ward appearance the upper and lower sections of each supporting rodappear as a single continuing rod with a bulbous illuminating portion indirect alignment there with. Y

References Cited in therle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,707,539 Propp Apr. 2, 1939 2,254,679 Gaskill Sept. 2, 1941 Bennett May29, 1956

